Panama, 9 September, 2024. The most comprehensive needs survey ever carried out with migrants and refugees from Venezuela and other nationalities in Latin America and the Caribbean indicates that 4.2 million Venezuelans still face challenges accessing essential services and formal employment, despite the commendable achievements of host countries in providing humanitarian assistance, protection, and integration opportunities.

The Refugee and Migrant Needs Analysis (RMNA), conducted by the Regional Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela (R4V) – co-led by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) –, highlights that the ongoing challenges include food insecurity, limited access to formal employment, lack of documentation and difficulties in obtaining healthcare and education services. 

Remarkably, 68% of the 6,7 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants living in the region have achieved regular migratory status or refugee recognition. In 2023 alone, with the support of R4V partners, over 1.3 million were reached by food security and nutrition activities, 700,000 received medical care, 240,000 found shelter, other 230,000 benefited from integration opportunities and nearly 300,000 received water, sanitation and hygiene services. Some 200,000 children accessed education, and over 980,000 refugees, migrants, and host community members received specialized protection assistance. 

These achievements, however, fall short of ensuring that all vulnerable migrants and refugees have access to a dignified life and adequate access to basic rights. More than 2 million remain in an irregular situation predominantly owed to high costs, strict entry and visa requirements, and complex legal processes.  Over 14,000 households were surveyed, corresponding to the views of more than 41,500 refugees and migrants across the 17 countries in South America, Central America and the Caribbean, including those in human mobility. 

The difficult post-pandemic socio-economic scenario, coupled with increased discrimination and xenophobia experienced in hiring processes, and barriers to validating professional qualifications, has forced 82% of Venezuelans working in the region into informal, often undignified, and poorly paid employment. Women are disproportionately affected, often receiving lower wages. 

“This year, for the first time, the Needs Analysis is based on a regionally harmonized framework for assessments. The findings, both encouraging as well as alarming, offer a clearer picture of the situation faced by refugees and migrants from different nationalities, highlighting areas where host governments, and the international community need to do more to provide sustainable solutions, protection, and humanitarian assistance,” said Dr. Eduardo Stein, Joint Special Representative of UNHCR and IOM  for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela. 

The high cost of living in the region and the difficulties in securing formal employment and fair wages have resulted in 42% of surveyed Venezuelan households having food security needs. Many go entire days without eating, prioritizing their children’s needs and resorting to panhandling to survive. 

Additionally, due to insufficient income and xenophobic attitudes of some landlords, one in five of the surveyed households lack stable housing, with some forced to sleep in the streets.

Desperate to meet basic needs, many Venezuelans undertake perilous journeys across borders, exposing themselves to violence, extortion, robbery, exploitation, smuggling, human trafficking, and other dangers. They are joined by vulnerable migrants and refugees from other nationalities, including Ecuadorians, Colombians, and Haitians, who face similar risks. Some 89% of the refugees and migrants from Venezuela and other nationalities who resort to these movements are in need of food, shelter, and protection, among other essential rights, and urgently require humanitarian assistance.

International support is crucial to provide Venezuelans in the region, as well as people of other nationalities, with sustainable opportunities for integration and prevent further dangerous movements. Of the $1.59 billion requested by partners of the Regional Response Plan 2024, only 13.3% of the required funds have been received to date. The findings from the RMNA will inform the Regional Response Plan for Refugees and Migrants for 2025-2026, which is set to be presented in December 2024.

Note:

The R4V Platform is launching its third Refugee and Migrant Needs Analysis (RMNA). This document is the result of the collaboration of the 248 partners of the R4V Platform and refugees and migrants from Venezuela in 17 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean. It is based on joint needs assessments conducted in 15 of the 17 R4V countries: Argentina, Aruba, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curaçao, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay. Additionally, secondary sources, such as reports from humanitarian actors, academia, international and local NGOs, and official statistics from government authorities and institutions have been consulted. Read the document here.

To learn more about RMNA 2024, visit: https://rmrp.r4v.info/RMNA2024/  

For more information:

In Panama: 

Gema Cortes, IOM, marcortes@iom.int +507 62694574 

Luiz Fernando Godinho, UNHCR, godinho@unhcr.org +507 6356 0074